TO BE FRANK, BRENTFORD HAVE BIGGER FISH TO FRY

Forest on Tuesday means more for Bees boss

Brentford’s Halil Dervisoglu takes a tumble between Wes Morgan and James

Justin

Iheanacho 4

AHEAD of proceedings at condemned Griffin Park, a young Brentford fan was invited to announce the home side to those keen enough to be in early.

He was obviously devoted because he appeared to know every name on the team sheet.

This is the FA Cup 2020, where rotation comes as standard, whether you are David or Goliath. It is the Reserve Keeper Cup. This pleasant, reasonably entertaining game between a couple of B teams is its staple diet for the winter months.

There are titbits of romance, intrigue and lower-league heroism – and Premier League teams and managers who take it deadly seriously – but the real thrill does not kick in until Spring.

Would Thomas Frank’s strongest possible team have an outside chance of a run to, say, the semi-finals?

Probably. Did Tuesday’s forthcoming engagement with Nottingham Forest here – a fifth versus fourth affair – take precedence over this? Clearly.

Members of Frank’s XI to face Leicester had started a combined 43 times in the Championship this season.

The Danish coach (left) was particularly effusive in his praise for the competition on the eve of this game.

No wonder. It keeps his fringe players interested.

And it is hard to deny Frank has a more worthy cause to rest the odd frontline operator than some of his counterparts in the tier above.

Brentford move to a new stadium next season and the fillip that would be given by promotion to the Premier League is almost unimaginable.

They lie six points from the top of the table and, after the visit of Forest, they travel to Hull City for an early kick-off next Saturday. A